San Jose : Willow Glen Trestle Tour tomorrow

Join trail advocates on a tour of a railroad trestle bridge on the alignment of the planned Three Creeks Trail

The Los Gatos Creek trail from Lexington Reservoir to San Jose is an important corridor for recreation and human-powered transportation, providing complete grade separation through the cities of Los Gatos, Campbell and San Jose with easy crossings past a number of high traffic roads.

This trail ends on Meridian Avenue in San Jose’s Willow Glen neighborhood, about two miles short of downtown San Jose. Just blocks downstream of this trail end, the Los Gatos Creek intersects with the planned Three Creeks Trail, which mostly runs along the alignment of an abandoned Union Pacific rail right-of-way. Trail advocates in Willow Glen envision a regional, unified trail system linking Los Gatos Creek, Three Creeks, and the Guadalupe River System for enhanced biking and walking opportunities. A bridge where Three Creeks cross the Los Gatos Creek trail is a vital part of this conenction. Although city officials plan to replace the wooden rail trestle with a steel pedestrian structure, community advocates say this historic trestle bridge can be converted for trail use.

Although the city is moving forward on the Three Creeks Trail, the San Jose city council voted to have this trestle destroyed and replaced with a standard steel pedestrian bridge. Trail advocates hope to convince city officials to reverse this decision. You can see this trestle bridge for yourself by joining Dr Larry Ames on a tour of the Willow Glen Trestle Bridge this weekend.

Dr Ames will begin the tour this Saturday, May 25 2013 at the corner of Coe & Leona (one block east of Lincoln) in San Jose. Ames believes the existing bridge can be the crowning jewel of a trail system that he hopes will eventually link to downtown San Jose. He hopes to encourage people to show up at the city’s next public meeting on Three Creeks, which takes place on Wednesay, May 29, 2013 at the Willow Glen Senior Center on Lincoln near Curtner.